Antiques Gallery Bali Nusra – The Art of Collecting Antiques

Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands and hundreds of different cultures. This time, KALIUDA Gallery Bali will discuss the antiques of the three regions that were once a province known as Lesser Sunda (Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, and West Nusa Tenggara). Bali Nusra is short for Bali Nusa Tenggara Islands or the Lesser Sunda Islands. We’ll take a look at some of the most interesting antiques from Bali and Nusa Tenggara. We’ll also tell you about their history and what makes them special.

A Brief History of Bali and Nusa Tenggara

The island of Bali has been inhabited for thousands of years. It was first settled by Austronesian people around 2000 BC. They were followed by Hindu Balinese in the 9th century AD.^[1] They migrated and came from Taiwan via Maritime Southeast Asia. The culture and language of the Balinese are closely related to those of the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Oceania. Stone tools dating from that time have been found near the village of Cekik in the west of the island of Bali. Today, there are over 10 million residents on the island.

The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly Kepulauan Sunda Kecil) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west, they make up the Sunda Islands. The islands are part of a volcanic arc, the Sunda Arc, formed by subduction along the Sunda Trench in the Java Sea. A bit more than 20 million people live on the islands. Etymologically, Nusa Tenggara means “Southeast Islands” from the words ‘Nusa’ which means ‘island’ in the Old Javanese language and ‘Tenggara’ means ‘southeast’.^[2]

The Most Interesting Antique Items from Bali Nusra’s Antique Market

Here are some of our favorite pieces at KALIUDA Gallery.

• Balinese Temple Decoration
  

Balinese Temple Decoration | Source: doc. KALIUDA Gallery

• Balinese Garden Lamp
  

  

  Balinese Garden Lamp | Source: doc. KALIUDA Gallery

  
  

• Timor Bracelets
  

  

  Antique Bronze Bracelets from Timor | Source: doc. KALIUDA Gallery

  
  

• Mamuli and Anahida, Antiques Jewelry from Sumba
  

KG 190a – Mamuli Sumba

KG 4 – Sumba Hair Comb

KG 192 – Anahida Sumba

Mamuli is a fertility symbol. The form invokes the life-giving power of female genitalia and refers back to the ancestors and forward to the continuity of lineages.
On entering puberty, young women in Sumba wore intricately carved tortoiseshell called “hai kara jangga“. They were also worn by adult noblewomen.

• Textiles
  

Antique Balinese Textile

WV 20-4s Sumba woven cloth

Quick Tips for Buying an Antiques in Bali

If you’re looking to buy an antique, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure you understand the value of the piece before buying it. Second, consider the condition of the item. Third, do some research online to learn more about its history. Finally, ask yourself whether you really need it.

Some antiques from Indonesia in KALIUDA Gallery

In addition to the items mentioned above, we also have a variety of antiques from various regions in Indonesia. Some of them are:

• Borneo Baby Carriage

The Borneo Baby Carrier is a reedwork basket from Kalimantan to carry a young baby, although some mothers carry two or three-year-olds in them. Young infants tend to be carried in the front to make breastfeeding easy in the early months and older ones in the back.
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• Terracotta Piggy Bank, Java

The terracotta piggy banks were made in various shapes and sizes around the 15th century. They were extremely common across all classes. The piggy bank in Java is also a symbol of prosperity.
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• Charcoal Iron

The first iron was known in Greece in 400 BC for making vertical folds on oversized garments to be used for ceremonies.
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• Loro Blonyo, Javanese Couple Statue
  

The Javanese Loro Blonyo statue is a statue of a bride and groom sitting cross-legged and is often found at weddings. That’s why it’s also called a wedding couple. The statue of the bride is a symbol of Dewi Sri who is known as the Goddess of Rice or the Goddess of Fertility.
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• Antique Furniture

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• Borneo Necklace

• Javanese Puppet
  

Javanese puppet | Source: doc. KALIUDA Gallery

• Borneo Gasing
  

  

  Borneo Gasing | Source: doc. KALIUDA Gallery

  
  

• Masks from Timor, Java, and Lombok
  

  

  Mask from Timor – Jawa – Lombok | Source: doc. KALIUDA Gallery

The Best Place to Find Antiques in Bali

If you’re looking for antique items in Bali, there are plenty of places where you can find them. You might even find something unique and beautiful. But if you don’t want to be complicated and need one-stop-shopping, you must visit KALIUDA Gallery when you are in Bali. Because KALIUDA Gallery is the best teak wood furniture supplier and stores in Bali that not only sells indoor-outdoor furniture but also provides home decor and antiques primitive art at Denpasar, Bali-Indonesia, and ships worldwide. Ready stock and custom furniture for retail or wholesale.

Reference:

[1] Sejarah Pulau Bali – Tata Ruang Provinsi Bali (baliprov.go.id)
[2] Lesser Sunda Islands – Wikipedia